in a decisive
tone--"at least not until Le Boeuf is out of danger. You have set his
arm and are thoroughly in touch with the case. You must stay here and
pull him through."

Sperry raised his arms in hopeless protest.

"Really, my dear Mr. Thayor, it is impossible," he said.

"No--nothing is impossible where a man's life is at stake," Thayor
continued, lapsing into his old business-like manner. "As to your
practice, you know me well enough to know I would not for a moment put
you to any personal loss."

"But my dear Thayor--"

"I won't listen to you, Dr. Sperry. It is a matter of the life or
death of one of my men--a man who, Holcomb tells me, has been most
faithful in his work. I will not hear of your going, and that ends
it!"

Sperry rose, and for some moments regarded intently the blue spiral of
smoke from his cigar curl lazily past his nose; then with a smile of
ill-concealed triumph and a slight shrug of acquiescence, he replied:

"Of course, if you insist; yes, I'll stay. I shall do my best to save
him."

"Thank you," cried Thayor. "Now we will join Alice and Margaret. He
held back the heavy portiere screening the door of the living room.

"Not a word to Margaret, remember," Thayor whispered, "about Le Boeuf,
nor to Mrs. Thayor--she doesn't like these things and I try to keep
them from her all I can."

"Certainly not," returned the doctor. "It would only worry her.
Besides, I think I have a fighting chance to save him."

As they entered the living room Alice raised her eyes. Margaret put
down a treatise on forestry that Holcomb had lent her, rose, and said
good-night. She did not relish the thought of general conversation
when the doctor was present--especially after the experiences she had
had.

"Ah, Alice," said Thayor, as he crossed the room to where his wife was
sitting, "I have a bit of news for you, my dear. Our friend here has
positively refused to leave. Oh--it's the air," he added as the
doctor laughed, "and the charm of old nature. You know, doctor, it's
contagious, this enchantment of the woods." Alice gave an involuntary
start and the little ball of blue worsted in her lap dropped to the
floor, and unravelled itself to the edge of the Persian rug.

"Not really!" she exclaimed, smothering her secret joy. "You see what
a useless person I am at persuasion, doctor. Come, be truthful--didn't
I try to persuade you to stay?"

"Yes, my dear lady, to be truthful you did; but I had no intentio